Safety Services News

Intellian Technologies and Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat business, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the development of a next generation GMDSS safety terminal, designed for operation over Inmarsat’s ELERA L-band network.The new safety terminals will become the standard Inmarsat Maritime product for the next generation Fleet Safety service and will fulfil the requirements and performance standards of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), as part of a range of maritime SOLAS approved ship borne equipment including Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS)…

Inmarsat Maritime, a Viasat business, won the 2023 International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) Award for Innovation and Technology in Maritime Search and Rescue after a highly respected judging panel led by former IMRF Chair Michael Vlasto selected its entry from a shortlist of 10 individuals and organisations.Acknowledging “volunteer and professional search-and-rescue (SAR) personnel from around the world”, the prestigious award highlights “those who have shown excellence in their field…

U.S.-based global communications company Viasat has completed the acquisition of its UK-based rival Inmarsat."The combined company enhances our scale and scope to continue to drive growth in the increasingly dynamic and competitive satellite communications industry. The company’s assets, once fully integrated, are expected to increase the pace and scope of innovation in the global satellite connectivity sector, offering new and improved capabilities to customers that will address the ever-increasing speed…

The Hiller Companies, a provider of fire and life safety services and portfolio company of Littlejohn & Co., has named Santiago Perez Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Perez was most recently CEO of Keter Environmental Services. Previously, he held senior leadership positions at Schneider Electric, where he oversaw the U.S. services and solutions business, and Johnson Controls, where he led a number of the company’s global business units.

The Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB), the General Lighthouse Authority for Scotland and the Isle of Man announced the award of a £51.8 million contract to Spanish shipyard Astilleros Gondán S.A, for the build of a hybrid powered buoy tender vessel to support its vital safety service to mariners.The tender includes a commitment to place over £2 million of contracts with U.K. suppliers with a requirement for any contract over £25,000 to be advertised in the U.K. As part of the deal Gondán will also create a special fully funded internship program for up to 15 U.K.

UK-based offshore vessel operator North Star has secured a £140 million (currently around $171 million) financing package.The company, building a fleet of service operation vessels for offshore wind operations, said Tuesday it would use the funds to support the next phase of its ambitious offshore wind growth plan.The investment includes a £50 million commitment from the Scottish National Investment Bank (The Bank), as well as IFM Investors, Edmond de Rothschild’s BRIDGE, and RBC Capital Markets."The Bank’s investment aligns with its mission to support Scotland’s transition to net zero…

Marlink and Bureau Veritas (BV) signed an agreement to accelerate the delivery of cyber-secure digital tools and safety services in the maritime industry. The agreement links Marlink’s smart hybrid connectivity with the remote digital and safety services provided by BV. Having identified crossovers in their mutual customer base, the partners will collaborate to enable maritime stakeholders to more easily adopt cyber-strengthened digital tools and applications using the Marlink network.To this end…

Global maritime communications powerhouse Inmarsat earlier this year announced a pair of new tech offerings – ORCHESTRA and ELERA – that are touted as ‘the communications network of the future.’ We caught up with Ronald Spithout, President, Inmarsat Maritime, for additional insights on how these services will power the future of maritime IoT.As digitalization and IoT continues to drive innovation across the maritime sector, satellite communication will serve as the conduit, and smaller, faster and cheaper is the mantra.

Workplace health and safety services company Remote Medical International (RMI) announced the launch of two new services RMI Access Telemedicine and Case Management to address health and safety challenges found in demanding industrial environments. Suited for oil and gas, renewables, construction and other industries with worksites in remote locations, the new services provide direct anytime, anywhere access to licensed medical providers trained in industrial injury management…

A Dutch court on Wednesday ruled in favor of Inmarsat in a dispute over the use of 5G bandwidth in the Netherlands, ordering the government to suspend a decision to reserve the bandwidth for telecommunications as of Sept. 1, 2022.Inmarsat currently uses the 3.5 MHz frequency for satellite communications with distressed ships. The Rotterdam District Court said in a summary of its ruling that the state had "insufficiently understood" the importance of that use and wrongly made it…

Touting strong RF performance, Intellian said its newly launched C700 Iridium Certus maritime terminal can deliver out-of-the-box uplink speeds of 352kbps and downlink speeds of 704kbps by default, with equally impressive low-elevation-angle RF efficiency thanks to its unique 12-patch phased array antenna technology. It will support three high-quality, low-latency phone lines simultaneously; and as a solid-state antenna with no moving parts inside, the C700 is especially robust…

Fire Ranger and Resolve Maritime Academy Announce Partnership Aligning Live-Action Training with State-of-the-Art Fire Safety Equipment and Services.September 2019, Fort Lauderdale FL, Fire Ranger, a leading supplier of fire safety equipment and services announce their alliance partnership with Resolve Maritime Academy to incorporate modern, state-of-the-art fire safety equipment and services as part of Resolve’s academy certification programs. The partnership is a “Win Win” for academy students who will earn United States Coast Guard (USCG)…

Roxtec developed an online tool to simplify systemized safety control of cable and pipe transits. The new Roxtec Transit Registry helps owners in marine and offshore industries monitor the transit installation quality and ensure the safety level throughout the lifecycle of assets.Roxtec has conducted transit inspections around the world for years, and they repeat their important message to owners and builders of marine and offshore units: “Cable and pipe seals are vital for the passive fire protection and as important as fire doors.

Teekay Offshore Partner, a marine energy transportation, storage & production company, has signed for a shipping export credit agency (ECA)-backed US$414m debt facility to fund four LNG-fuelled newbuild shuttle tankers.Watson Farley & Williams (WFW) is advising its long-standing client Teekay on this ECA-backed newbuild loan, noted a release.The facility, which bears interest at Libor plus 225 basis points for up to 12 years from each delivery, is funded and guaranteed by both Canadian and Norwegian export credit agencies and commercial banks.The vessels covered are four Suezmax DP2 shuttle tankers due for delivery in 2019 and 2020, two of which will work under Teekay Offshore’s Master Agreement with Norway’s Equinor…

International midstream services provider, Teekay Offshore Partners announced that it has secured a new $414 million long-term debt facility that will be used to finance four LNG-fueled Suezmax DP2 shuttle tanker newbuildings.Upon delivery in 2019 and 2020, two of the vessels will commence operations under the Partnership’s Master Agreement with Equinor, while the remaining two vessels will join the Partnership’s contract of affreightment (CoA) shuttle tanker portfolio in the North Sea, said a release from the marine energy transportation company.The new facility is funded and guaranteed by both Canadian and Norwegian export credit agencies…

A contract signed in London at the end of last month by Inmarsat and SRH Marine SAIT formalizes arrangements for real-time Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) updating to be accomplished ‘ship-to-shore’ using an application over FleetBroadband for the first time.The SRH Delta platform, which includes chart updates, publications and notices of mariners, will be available for L-band transmission to any FleetBroadband user equipped with the new, dedicated bandwidth…

Multinational petroleum corporation Petrobras turned to cable and pipe seals specialist Roxtec for verification of the cable and pipe transits on board the P-68 floating production, storage and offloading vessel (FPSO) in a Brazil shipyard before final approval from the classification society.Petrobras also asked the cable and pipe transit specialist to educate engineers and installers of Petrobras and the Jurong Shipyard on how Roxtec seals work.A Roxtec team consisting of sealing experts and inspectors from Sweden…

Iridium Communications Inc. announced today that KDDI Corporation, Navarino and NSSLGlobal Ltd., are the newest Iridium Certus service providers for the maritime industry. Iridium Certus will offer a L-band satellite broadband connectivity solution.With higher speeds, state-of-the-art small form factor terminals and competitive pricing options, Iridium Certus will offer a complete communications platform for all mariners and can serve as a primary service or VSAT companion solution.

Polaris and Falck have signed an agreement whereby Polaris will acquire 100 percent of the shares in Falck Safety Services Holding A/S and take over all Safety Services activities in Falck for an undisclosed sales price. This transaction, expected to close during September 2018, also includes the Falck Fire Academy in the Netherlands.Falck President & CEO Jakob Riis said, “We are focusing our business and reducing complexity to build leadership in our core business areas. Safety Services is a leader in rescue and safety training.

Shipowners who want to get the value out of data, applications and smarter shipping have realized that VSAT is the new L-Band, says Malcolm McMasterAt Globecomm we spend as much time as possible talking to shipowners about their communications needs. It’s always a rewarding conversation because we hear about what they actually do with bandwidth, which gives us insight into what systems and solutions might suit them best.Over the last decade that would almost always mean L-Band satellite systems; but this is changing.

Globecomm has supplied its global Ku-band VSAT service to specialist shipowner and manager Briese Schiffahrts in support of its fleet growth plans.Long-time Globecomm customer Briese is undertaking a program of fleet renewal, constructing a series of eight ‘Open Top Eco 5000’ multi-purpose vessels, designed to consume 30 percent less fuel but with increased crane and cargo capacity.The first of four ships was christened in mid-April 2018 at Zhejiang Zengzhou Shipbuilding Co with three more of the 90-meter long…

Iridium Communications Inc. announced that seven additional service providers have signed agreements to provide the Iridium Certus service for maritime applications. Globecomm, Network Innovations, Pivotel, MVS USA, IEC-Telecom, MetOcean and Samsan Enterprise Company now further broaden the base of Iridium’s distribution for its next-generation L-band broadband service. These seven companies will play a critical role in delivering what will be the fastest and most competitive L-band satellite broadband solution to the maritime industry, enabling a truly global “connected ship” environment. This announcement comes shortly after Iridium became the second-ever recognized service provider for the Global Maritime Distress Safety System (GMDSS)…

Inmarsat and Intellian have signed an outline agreement that will support enhancements to Inmarsat’s FleetBroadband service for the next decade and beyond. The new agreement will see Intellian design and manufacture a new generation of FleetBroadband terminals that will support the existing I-4 network alongside the major advances coming with Inmarsat’s sixth generation satellite constellation, the first of which is scheduled for launch in 2020. The next generation terminals will be significantly lower cost and feature a host of new capabilities, including much faster throughput speeds.